Alkaline cells are generally designed to have a defined zinc content in the anode compartment (zinc loading) which can range from about 65% to about 72%, depending on discharge capacity needs and cost considerations. Increasing the zinc loading above 72% can lead to enhanced cell gassing, and decreasing the zinc loading below 65% can lead to reliability issues. Reduced zinc loading can result in inadequate contact between the zinc particles, as well as between the anode and the corresponding current collector. Thus, low zinc loadings below 65% can lead to cell failures in abuse tests such as drop and vibration discharge tests, among others. New and improved ways to reduce zinc loading and lower the cost of production without adversely affecting the battery performance are needed.